Elon Musk Shows Off ‘Neuralink’ Technology Used To Control The Brain [VIDEO]

U.S. billionaire Elon Musk has demonstrated how a computer chip inserted into the head can be used to control the brain.

Musk, who is the head of American space company SpaceX and also the boss of electric carmaker Tesla, made the demonstration recently via video, providing details about the system called Neuralink.

He says he hopes the technology can be used to neural disorders and help spinal injury victims regain body movement, adding that he believes it could be used in the future to improve intelligence and help humans keep up with supercomputers and artificial intelligence (A.I.).

During the demonstration, Musk showed off a model of Neuralink device, which is about 23 millimeters wide. It is designed to be implanted into a person’s skull, connected by small wires directly to the brain.

The Neuralink system is presently being tested in pigs, with plans to seek approval from the government for human testing sometime in the future.

Dr. Matthew MacDoughall, Neuralink’s head surgeon, revealed that the company’s first test on humans would involve a small number of people and that they would be aimed at treating those suffering from paralysis.

During the demonstration, Musk showed off a pig named Gertrude, explaining that it had a Neuralink implant inside its head. The device is meant to record neural activity in the pig’s nose and mouth.

He disclosed that the company has three pigs, each with two implants, describing the animals as “healthy, happy and indistinguishable from a normal pig”.

Musk said the company was able to predict with “high accuracy” a pig’s leg movement on a running machine using data from the implant.

He used the opportunity to urge engineers and other experts to join the company in developing the technology, telling people to develop their own devices and bring them to Neuralink.

Watch the video of the demonstration below: